Finding a painted bunting at Sequoyah is not the hard part. The birds are numerous at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. However, they like staying in the thick brush. That habit makes them difficult for me to photograph.
Why a Painted Bunting at Sequoyah Stays in Thick Brush
Painted Buntings are numerous at the refuge, so numbers are not the problem. They like staying in the thick brush. Because they stay in that brush, they are difficult for me to photograph. I think that brush habit is the whole challenge with this species at the refuge.
A Roadside Chance Near Dockery Slough
On June 3, 2021, at 8:04 a.m., this bird was sitting in the middle of the road near Dockery Slough. Then it flew up into a tree nearby. I opened my pickup door to get this shot. Also, I hand-held my camera and lens for this shot.
I used a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens, at 400 mm. I processed this photo with Luminar 4.
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II
- Focal length: 400 mm
- Aperture: f/8
- Shutter speed: 1/2500
- ISO: 1600 (Auto)
- White balance: Auto
- Exposure mode: Manual
- Metering mode: Evaluative
- Focus: Back-button focus, continuous auto focus
- Exposure compensation: 0
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date taken: June 3, 2021, at 8:04 A.M.
The Indigo Bunting Post to Read Next
This chance stands out for me because the bird sat on the road first, then moved to a tree nearby. I like getting a bunting out in the open like that. If buntings interest you, check out my Indigo Bunting post also. I will take a chance like this one any time it comes along at the refuge.